tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27760240.post116276351331600466..comments2017-12-12T03:56:26.963-06:00Comments on American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL): Debbie Reesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972409006633565859noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27760240.post-1162955474903953102006-11-07T21:11:00.000-06:002006-11-07T21:11:00.000-06:00Hi Debbie,Thanks for all of your efforts. I have a...Hi Debbie,<BR/>Thanks for all of your efforts. <BR/>I have a question. I'm being asked by teachers here in Texas for recommendations of quality contemporary Native children's literature that is available in Spanish language. <BR/>By any chance, do you have any suggestions I can pass on?<BR/>Warmest Wishes,<BR/>CynthiaCynthia Leitich Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05570610889144437638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27760240.post-1162884289425275932006-11-07T01:24:00.000-06:002006-11-07T01:24:00.000-06:00I find it very intersting that you say this:I don'...I find it very intersting that you say this:<BR/>I don't think any given teacher is a bad (or racist) person because their lessons provide a heroic or romantic picture of America's history. Most likely, that teacher didn't get much in the way of critical thinking about teaching this topic in his/her teacher education program. Maybe there haven't been opportunities to think about this, either, once the teacher entered the classroom."<BR/><BR/>When you have said at least once (and quoted others who have said this more that once) that white kids "play" at being Indian, when as rude as it sounds that in and of itself is a very racist remark. Someone's skin tone doesn't make up their cultural and historical background.<BR/><BR/>You yourself make a big deal of race on your blog, or at least make a big deal of skin color. So do some of the people that reply to you. Yet you do not seem to aknowledge the racism in your own beliefs or the ideas of those that reply to you.<BR/><BR/>Maybe you might want to take a look at what some of the people here are saying. Many times on this blog it seems like skin color and culture/history are interchangable. Not every Indian has the same skin tone, there *are* white and darker colored Indians (even those that are registered with a band). Sometimes it sounds like only those with the same skin tone and history as you have are allowed to call themselves Indians, and I am not sure if that is the message you are trying to get across.tigerkathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04094489065412939873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27760240.post-1162857838172556122006-11-06T18:03:00.000-06:002006-11-06T18:03:00.000-06:00I appreciate this blog. As someone who studies wr...I appreciate this blog. As someone who studies writing and rhetoric, as well as children's/ya literature, I always try to place texts within their respective rhetorical context(s). And it is always good to remember that what some might consider as 'benign' practices really are not. Someone once told me that rather than living by 'Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,' that it is better to 'Do unto others as as they would have done unto themselves.' I don't know if that is very grammatical, but it seems like a good practice.k8https://www.blogger.com/profile/15780348320613067834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27760240.post-1162818148464329002006-11-06T07:02:00.000-06:002006-11-06T07:02:00.000-06:00I'm so glad that you are doing this blog. As a te...I'm so glad that you are doing this blog. As a teacher educator it is such a valued resource to me as I work with both pre and inservicer teachers. It helps to raise their awareness, but also to give them support when they are speaking with colleagues and administrators. I'm currently teaching a graduate multicultiral literature class and your blog is an integral part of it. Please keep it going.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27760240.post-1162788579208654272006-11-05T22:49:00.000-06:002006-11-05T22:49:00.000-06:00I agree: although I sympathize, too, with how cha...I agree: although I sympathize, too, with how challenging a teacher's work can be these days. It's not easy when you're given badly written curriculum or materials that are insensitive or inaccurate and have to work around things like that. Or when you don't get support from others in the school community for wanting to do things better. I know lots of teachers have to spend their own money or work on their own time to get good resources in for their classes. I did.rindambyersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27760240.post-1162780052215152832006-11-05T20:27:00.000-06:002006-11-05T20:27:00.000-06:00Hold the line. Your words touch one's conscience ...Hold the line. Your words touch one's conscience in ways that many people sorely need, but poorly acknowledge. Thanks.jcrithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18242371690849624672noreply@blogger.com